How To

What force actuator should I buy? We get asked this question at least a few times a day. In today’s article, we will walk you through the process of calculating the force required by an electric linear actuator to lift the load in your application. There are a couple of factors involved when it comes to finding the right force, like the load, the angle at which it is being pushed and the size of the load. If you are pushing/pulling a load stra...

It is very important to pick the appropriate power supply for your electric linear actuator. You can have the perfect application design, the best actuator for your need, and flawless mounting setup, but without the right power supply, your system is not going to work at all. In this article, I will be going over a few important points on how to choose the right power supply for your linear actuator. Voltage Input The power input of the power ...

The PA-18 Track Linear Actuator is our largest fixed-length actuator and is commonly used in custom cabinetry, home automation, and robotics. Like many of our actuators, it can be controlled using our selection of Arduino control boards. This article will showcase how you can control the PA-18 with a simple setup that can be easily adapted to fit your application. Equipment 1x PA-18 Track Linear Actuator 1x Arduino Uno 1x MegaMoto Plus H-br...

Power. Wattage. Energy Consumption. All these terms can be used when discussing electric actuator power consumption. Electric linear actuators that are manufactured by Progressive Automations use DC motors. Depending on the force that the actuator can apply, the size of the DC motor will vary. The higher the force, the larger the DC motor. DC motors with a low current draw will typically be used in the actuator with a lower force rating – same...

When operating linear actuators, there are many specifications users need to understand - Speed, force, current draw, etc., but one element of the linear actuator specification can be tricky to gauge: The noise level. The users often won’t know for sure until they run the application with the linear actuators in them to realize the noise level is too high. It is possible to return your actuators and replace it with an actuator with a lower noi...

Adding connectors to wires helps with connectivity and allows for plug and play compatibility with electronic and electrical devices. This guide will provide an overview of adding and removing Molex connectors and housing to wires and the how-to process of doing so. Let’s begin by taking a look at the components that will be involved: Wires Molex Mini-Fit Jr. Female Power Connectors Molex Mini-Fit Jr. Male Power Connectors Molex Mini-Fit Jr. ...